When I was a member of Congress, my seat was over there and … near the seat of the lady with a violent—not violent, but rather violet dress is seated. But I was always absent, whether with the Speaker and Tony Boy Florendo, who is still absent until today (Laughter). And that started—ah nandiyan ba?

Speaker and the members of the House of Representatives; Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo; former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno; and the Supreme Court and the members; of course, Archbishop Pinto; and the distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; Secretary Salvador Medialdea; and the members of the Cabinet, fellow workers in government, my fellow countrymen.

When I took my oath of office a year or so ago, I knew that our country was reeling from a multitude of problems. That day, there was euphoria in the air resulting from a successful campaign and the thought that dominated my being was to make good on my promise to the people to bring about change in government, not a change that is passing but a change that can survive the test of time.

Although I still had to know the magnitude and gravity of the problems, my feeling then was that, equipped with political will and braced by a concerned and disciplined citizenry, those problems would eventually be bested by us. It was only a matter of determination and collective action. It was only a question of time.

For as I saw it then as I see it now, there is no problem in the world which can stop the march of a people with unflinching and tenacious. That was how euphoric before it has been.

Early on, I felt that if change was to be meaningful, it had to start with those occupying the highest positions in government because change that comes from below is more transitory than permanent. And I was aiming for permanence. Let change trickle down from top to bottom.

It has to be a change that is not confined merely to the replacement of people by people, but a change in the people’s attitude, disposition and work ethic.

Sadly, although we knew years ago that what was needed or ought to do, we did not do them because our idea of government was parochial and we could not rise above family, ethnic and clan loyalties as well as loyalty to friends and co-workers. No one wanted to be a snitch. That is why we are one in saying that genuine change is what this country truly needs.

I believed then, as I believe still, that progress and development will sputter if criminals, illegal drug users and pushers are allowed to roam the streets freely, victimizing with seeming impunity, the innocent and the helpless. Worse yet, there were times in the past when the protectors of the people were themselves the perpetrators of the very crimes they were tasked to prevent or suppress. It is ironic and it is madness.

I have learned from experience that the economy surges only when there is peace and order prevailing in places where investors can pour in their capital and expertise. I have learned from my experience in Davao City that investor confidence is bolstered and fortified only if a potent force and mechanism for the protection of local and foreign investments are in place.

That is why, I have resolved that no matter how long it takes, the fight against illegal drugs will continue because that is the root cause of so much evil and so much suffering that weakens the social fabric and deters foreign investments from pouring in. The fight will be unremitting as it will be unrelenting.

Despite international and local pressures, the fight will not stop until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease, they have to stop because the alternatives are either jail or hell. And I will make sure, very sure, they will not have the luxury of enjoying the benefits of their greed and madness.

I do not intend to loosen the leash in the campaign or lose the fight against illegal drugs. Neither do I intend to preside over the destruction of the Filipino youth by being timid and tentative in my decisions and actions.

To the critics against this fight, your efforts will be better spent if you use the influence, moral authority and ascendancy of your organization over your respective sectors to educate the people on the evils of illegal drugs instead of condemning the authorities and unjustly blaming them for every killing that bloodies this country.

But don’t get me wrong. Like you, I value human life the way I value mine. Each life that is snuffed out translates into future generations lost. It is like cracking the acorn from which oak trees grow which, in turn, produce the seeds to complete the cycle of life in perpetuity.

There is a jungle out there. There are beasts and vultures preying on the helpless, the innocent and the unsuspecting. I will not allow the ruin of the youth, the disintegration of families and the retrogression of communities, forced by criminals whose greed for money is as insatiable as it is devoid of moral purpose. Neither will I be immobilized into inaction by the fear that I will commit an act that will expose me to public condemnation or legal prosecution. You harm the children in whose hands the future of this republic is entrusted, and I will hound you to the very gates of hell.

That is why I ask you to join me in this fight against illegal drugs and all forms of criminality.

The government, equipped with legal authority, and you, with the moral ascendancy over the sector you represent, can do so much to contain, reduce, and hopefully eradicate this social scourge that plagues us no end.

Look beyond your biases, your prejudices, your ambition and your political agenda. The search for change will begin and end only when we look into ourselves and find it within.

Today, a multitude of problems confront us. No sooner is one problem solved when another surges forth in its place. But we will not be disheartened; we will not be cowed; we will not be overwhelmed.

It is during trying and troubled times that the resilience, perseverance and determination of the people are tested. The Filipino is no stranger or neophyte to situations like the one we face today. We can, and we will, overcome as we did countless times in the past, but only if we work together towards a common goal.

Sad to say, despite all efforts, peace, especially in the Island of Mindanao, continues to elude us. But of course, it is not the peace of the dead that we seek but the peace of the living. Peace flits away like a butterfly when we are about to snatch it by its wings. And our pursuit of peace continues. The red insurgency has been with us for decades; the Muslim issue, for centuries.

So much time has lapsed, so many lives have been lost and so much destruction has been wrought but peace eludes us still. Sometimes I am almost tempted to conclude that peace might not be able to achieve peace during our lifetime.

But believe me, it will not be for want of trying. And I will persist in our goal of attaining peace up to the last day of this administration and maybe even beyond that although in a different capacity.

There is rebellion in Mindanao. The extremists have declared it their purpose to establish a caliphate within Philippine territory along the teachings and beliefs of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or otherwise known as ISIS, if you will. The battle of Marawi has dealt a terrible blow to our quest for peace especially now that an alien ideology and a radical shift in purpose have been injected into the local setting.

I declared Martial Law in Mindanao because I believed that that was the fastest way to quell the rebellion at the least cost of lives and property. At the same time, the government would be adequately equipped with the constitutional tool not only to prevent the escape of rebels who can easily mingle with, and pretend to be, civilian evacuees only to re-group in other places to fight another day, but also to prevent them from spreading their gospel of hate and violence in the rest of Mindanao.

Martial Law and the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus enable the military to arrest, detain and question suspected members and sympathizers of the rebellion similar to what happened to the parents of the Maute brothers.

As President, I am reiterating my unwavering support and commitment to the soldiers of our Armed Forces and the members of our police force—those who are on the ground and the battlefields and those who are risking their lives for our country and our democracy. I have your backs. To those who oppose and think that all these efforts are out of order, I hold myself, me and me alone, responsible.

The people of Marawi need help. Caught in the crossfire between government troops and Muslim extremists, they have been through hell and we need to help them rise and move forward.

If we cannot provide for the poor and the needy who are many, then we will not be able to keep from harm the rich who are few.

At the vanguard of our struggle for peace and order are our brave Armed Forces and Police. They are the silent heroes who risk their lives everyday for our country’s security. In recognition of their valor, we have crafted a program to provide them with comprehensive social assistance, including financial, should they meet harm in the performance of their duty. For the family left behind by those who fell or are rendered totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty, we shall provide shelter, health care assistance, education, and employment. That is my way of telling our troops: never fear, do your duty. I stand behind you. So does this government and all its agencies.

To decisively address insurgency and terrorism, we are working doubly hard towards a stronger and more credible national defense system for the country. We continue to strengthen the defense capability of the AFP as a deterrence against terrorists, lawless elements, and other threats.

My fellow citizens, what I have said so far about the events in Marawi and its neighboring environs is only a part of a looming problem, which will cut across all classes and all sectors of society and eventually affect the entire country from north to south and from east to west, given the fact that Mindanao supplies a great part of our country’s food requirements. I refer to climate change, which could bring drought and long dry spells affecting food production in Mindanao, given the fact that Mindanao is unusually warming. I ask all agencies involved in food production to look into this and act accordingly.

Also, I am appealing to all our legislators to immediately pass the National Land Use Act or the NALUA to ensure the rational and sustainable use of our land and other physical resources, given the competing needs of food security, housing, businesses and environmental conservation.

Ours is a rich country. The natural wealth that this country is endowed with is a gift from God to be utilized for the people’s welfare and the common good. I do not believe that this gift was given to us to be merely viewed or appreciated, but to be extracted from the earth and utilized to make life worth living.

That is why I say that it is not enough that we mine this wealth. What is more important is that we convert the raw material thereof into finished products for international and local economic purposes. That way, it will not only be the few who are the rich but also the poor who are many who will benefit there from.

Therefore, I call on our industrialists, investors and commercial barons to put up factories and manufacturing establishments right here in the Philippines to process our raw materials into finished products.

At this point in my administration, if possible, we shall put a stop to the extraction and exportation of our mineral resources to foreign nations for processing abroad and importing them back to the Philippines in the form of consumer goods at prices twice or thrice the value of the raw materials foreign corporations pay for them.

However, in the extraction and utilization of these resources, extreme care must be exercised that we do not recklessly and needlessly harm the environment. Responsible, regulated and sustainable development is what we advocate and require. The protection of the environment must be made a priority ahead of mining and all other activities that adversely affect it one way or another. This policy is non-negotiable.

I am sternly warning all the mining operators and contractors to refrain from the unbridled and irresponsible destruction of our watersheds, forests, and marine and aquatic resources. You have gained much from mining and we only get about 70 billion a year, but you have considerably neglected your responsibility to protect and preserve the environment for posterity.

I am holding all mining companies and its officials responsible for the full and quick clean-up, restoration and rehabilitation of all areas damaged by mining activities, and the extension of all necessary support to the communities that have suffered mining’s disastrous effects on their health, livelihood, and environment, among others.

Ganito ‘yan eh, medyo alis muna ako diyan sa … sasakit ang mata ko diyan sa yawa na ‘yan. Alam mo iyang mining, I have to grant it to the mining because you complied with all the requirements of the law. And I cannot—I am subject to mandamus if everything is perfect, and you have every right to mine. But in doing so, you destroy the rivers, you destroy the streams from which the poor people fish haluan o mudfish, and that is protein for the day for them.

But … ngayon makita mo naman, not only Gina Lopez gave you a clear picture of what was happening horrendously. Nakita mo kay Ted Failon, iyong kay Ted Failon talagang nanood ako, dalawang beses and I realized that I have to do something about it as a Filipino. Alam mo okay na iyong mining eh, subsidiary ka lang iyong isang another giant corporation or you are a sister company of a telecommunications. Hindi kayo magugutom, but look at the picture shown to you. Ahh… for once they behaved correctly, ang ABS-CBN. Iyon iyong pelikula ni Ted Failon. I salute him for coming with it.

You see the palayan… ang palayan tumuyo at ang soil nag-crack. So the farmers cannot eat anymore. They are reduced to the garbage of what you can get there, salvage anything and sell it to the scraps. Iyon ang nangyari sa Pilipino…hindi ko kayo kalaban. As a matter of fact, you give government almost 70 billion; pero actually maliit lang ‘yan. Ngayon nakikita ninyo itong mga palayan na tumutuyo, and the rivers…wala nang isda. The only source of protein. Hindi ka naman puwedeng mag-hunting, may makita kang eagle diyan barilin mo, preso ka. Pakainin mo iyong…. Saan mo ipa—

Try to go to the ... to go out. Sumama tayo... kayo sa akin, and try to see how hard it is for them to survive. Ito ang … gusto mo ganito ang pangyayari, tutal sobra-sobra naman ‘yang pera ninyo ah ‘adre sa totoo lang. Eh mayor ako eh, I can look at your corporate earnings, your sister company, I can pierce the corporate identity, kayo rin pala. And even doon sa mga newspaper, when you are not supposed to—you know, ‘pag newspaper ka, you are supposed to be 100% Filipino. And yet when you start to pierce their identity, it is pala wholly owned by Americans. Ganoon ang nangyari ah, it’s just a matter of piercing the … So wala masyado ako…

ABS o Rappler, kayo ba ‘yan? Have you tried to pierce your identity and it would lead you to America, do you know that. And yet the Constitution requires you to be 100%, media, Filipino. Rappler, try to pierce the identity and you will end up American ownerships. Pero kung mga mayaman na kayo, may mining company, ito ang deal ko sa inyo; either I will raise the taxes, ang kumikita niyan i-reserve ko, to compensate for those who are suffering and in agony. You come to come up with ano... You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of their source or I will tax you to death.

Kasi iyong taxes makuha ko, talagang ibubuhos ko. Ngayon, if you can make an arrangements, an inventory of the ... iyong nasira, iyong mga taong nagutom, pati iyong river nila wala nang makuha, because—you know guys, kayong mga taga-Davao, we are new to it—we are not new to it. You want to see horror in your lifetime? Ako ang bahala, NPA huwag muna kayong pagara-gara, ayaw-ayaw ke magpunta kami, samahin ko sila. To stop you...puro hambog lang kayo diyan. Punta tayo doon sa Diwalwal, doon sa Ball Mills and I will show you the river. Up there at the source, it’s so pristine, but doon sa—right at the start of the boundary, where the millings are started, the water there is not clear. It is not brown; it is black. Your one peso will win one million from me, if I am lying. Kung gusto mo isama ko kayo bukas doon. Ngayon ‘pag tinarget na tayo ng mga gagong NPA na iyan ay problema natin yan lahat, sabay-sabay na lang tayo – bakante ang presidency, bakante ang Senado, pati ang congressman.

Pero totoo iyan, you should visit there. Even the first spade, even the first spadeful of earth, that you extract and throw it away of no use, itabi mo lang iyan diyan eh, because it’s an open pit, you dig and dig and dig, is already the first spade there is the degradation of Mother Earth.

Alam mo ang isa pang galit sa mining, si Speaker. He comes from a mining town, but he hates mining. Ako naman kasi mga kaibigan ko iyong iba, iyong mga classmate ko mga vice president ng mining, punta sila dito, but I used—it reduces into something, the damage that you have caused. It’s not about our friendship; it’s not about our years of being in the same room. It’s not being a fraternity brother, but it is something that...ganun iyan eh,

So, I will increase the taxes, then I will think of something that will compensate or make up for the damage or at least the income restored. Otherwise, I’ll have to stop mining–I will ask you to stop it, it’s not good. We are a small group of islands, you know marami, the coastal, marami iyan, kasi maraming ikot-ikot, but if you will in a contiguous territory, maliit lang tayo. And yet—you must remember that there are so many billions of the future generations waiting in the stratosphere. Ang gusto ninyo para hindi na tayo magdamay, huminto na kayo ng ano... then let us go to—because this does not end here, how about the billions and billions and billions of Filipinos who will come afterward us? Kawawa naman. They will have to scratch Mother Earth to eat.

To our employees and officials, the LGUs tasked with monitoring these mining operations within their territorial jurisdictions, do your job without fear or favor, absolutely responsible are you for any misdeed or failure in the mining entities that comply... do not comply or comply with the guidelines, rules and regulations governing mining operations and activities within your area of responsibility. I mean it. Do not try to test my resolve. Absolutely, I have nothing to lose, except my life.

While we can control the acts of man, no one can control to stop and the fury and the rampage of weather gone wild. When nature fights back, it does so with a vengeance.

We have seen the terrible toll that the Super typhoon Yolanda and the succeeding typhoons exacted in terms of human life and property. And we still have to recover from the beating that we got both during and in the aftermath of those mega-typhoons.

Aside from droughts and tempests and other problems taking shape which according to DOST-PHIVOLCS, it is no longer just a distant possibility but a probability: EARTHQUAKES.

The series of damaging quakes in Leyte, Surigao and nearby provinces and islands attest to this. We were told that it is no longer a question of “if” but a matter of “when.”

Thus, we need to act decisively and fast because the threat is huge, real and imminent.

Come to think of it really, they say that there is no perfect instrument or human acumen can really predict earthquake. I hope it will not come, kasi kung magdating, sabi nila iyong big one, I hope it could be just in the mountains and in the rural area. Because if it’s right, sabihin nila tinatakot nila ang Metro Manila, kasi andito eh, in the speech. I reviewed it last night.

I am calling on both houses of Congress to expeditiously craft a law establishing a new authority or department that is responsive to the prevailing 21st century conditions and empowered to best deliver the enhanced disaster resiliency and quick disaster response.

While the law is crafted with extreme urgency, we need to undertake immediate action to ensure disaster resiliency and effective response in the Greater Manila Area, which is our country’s seat of governance, center of business, commerce, and academe. Disaster resiliency of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces is a matter of urgent national concern.

I am directing the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management to immediately work hand in hand with the concerned LGUs, the private sector and the affected communities themselves, in undertaking disaster resiliency measures, antidotes.

We will need to act and fast. With all the foregoing said, what then is the state of the nation today?

I will mince no words and neither will I window-dress the situation, we are in. Let me answer in two brief sentences. We are in for trouble, because we live in troubled and uncertain times. And I feel that things might get worse before they become better. But like I said, I hope, we will cope. We hope and pray.

The West Philippine Sea issue and Federalism are matters that we have to tackle sooner or later.

On the other hand, despite our recent gains in improving the peace and order situation in the country, there is still so much to be desired and if we are to completely eradicate the menace of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, we must do it.

I therefore ask Congress to act on all pending legislation to re-impose the death penalty on heinous crimes — especially and the trafficking of illegal drugs.

There is a short clip of CNN about people in Massachusetts, was it there? Iyong clip lang ang pinakita. Pakitingin nga, it’s repeated for almost every week ata iyong mga short clip, tingnan mo iyong mga tao doon na hinayaan nilang mag—They are there, they live under the bridge, they are getting thin, they are doing nothing. Pag ganun na sila tapos magpo-post ng ano… And they are aplenty there. They do not work, wala! Tapos sabi nung UN, is he here? Are you there, iyong UN representative na sinabi mo na shabu will not affect the brain? Are you here? Raise your right hand if you are here, do not worry. I will just---do not—the word “delude” as in to you, iyong mga ano ninyo na—but we know everyday that... one family raped, dalawa, all are dead, then you trivialize it with human rights and due process.

Okay ako diyan. When you go into an anger, when you go... you burst with rage, okay iyan. But with so many killings as brutal and as cruel as what happened, if you add human rights and due process, you stink and your mouth smells. If you want to criticize, criticize, condemned the act, stop there. But do not give the excuse or do not make it trivial by saying human rights as this word will protect you. Iyan ang pinakabugok magawa ng isang tao. When you criticize, stick on one topic. Then you find an event where you can talk about human rights and due process. But do not talk about it in the same time when there is a carnage and you begin to blabber, talk about human rights. Lalong nagagalit ang tao. May namatay na diyan, akala mo kung sino na. What have you done in the name of human rights? 77, you have the records. You can summon the police. 77 before I became President all drug related, 77,000 and you trivialize that in a conference at saka pumunta dito ang tatanungin iyong nasa presohan. Na perwisyo dahil nag---just imagine. I challenge you, you want a debate in public okay, we will have it.

I will challenge you, how you also trivialize the thing by… binibigyan ninyo ng importansiya si De Lima. You all know, you are all here, you conducted investigation, you heard the witnesses, you saw the videos. Is she a credible woman? Can she be a moral person? Puro kayo drama diyan.

When you talk about that incident, talk about it, then condemn, condemn the police. But do not connect it with due process and human rights. Magmukha kang gago sa harap ng Pilipino. You know why I got this rating? I could not be brighter than you, and my work is not more important or your vocation is not less than mine.

It is time for us to fulfil our mandate to protect our people from these crimes that have victimized—you know, huwag ninyo akong takot-takutin niyang preso, iyong ICJ, International Court of Justice. Sh*t, I’m willing to go to prison for the rest of my life. Ang importante sa akin, ginawa ko iyong gusto ko. [Applause] Alam mo kasi in this country, it is a rule of majority. I did it for the 50 plus 1, because in a vote of hundred, I get 51 – 50 plus 1. Fifty is one half, one… that is majority - one, I win. Iyong 49, iyon iyong mga… I do not have to make them happy.

But when the time comes, eh kung malasin ako, pupunta ako sa presuhan. Do not worry about me. I can take it. Noong maliit pa ako, labas-pasok ako sa—wala pa ‘yang law ni Pangilinan, labas-pasok na ako sa presuhan. Kunin ninyo iyong record ninyo sa pulis doon sa Davao. Takot takutin… you will be prosecuted… Hoy! Abogado ako. Well because I will…—eh sabi ko nga, everybody is entitled to come here and question me. But I have to question you, also. At para magaling, let us make it official. We go to court, and we tell the judge that we are hearing by an international body, can we have it judicially recorded. And I will place him under oath. Mahuli ko man talaga ‘yan sila.

It is time for us to fulfill our mandate to protect—tapos na ‘yan. Kindly—for so long.

We have to act decisively on this contentious issue. Capital punishment is not only about deterrence. It is also about retribution. Make no mistake about that.

Iba kasi ako eh. Let us understand each other, including the international community. Ang aming—our criminal system, uses the Revised Penal Code – that is a law that was given to us by the Spaniards. The original Revised Penal Code, though it was translated into English and in those—about two books/three books, there are the definition of crimes and the penalties and everything.

And the thrust of that Revised Penal Code, ladies and gentlemen, is the essence of retribution – that is why you have penalty. There is also the word ‘positivist theory,’ that you can nurture a criminal into goodness, provided he goes to prison for two year/three years, he’s released. He’s a sex offender, when he goes out, he rapes again, kidnaps another girl and makes her as hostage for so many... Ganoon kayo eh… admit it, ganoon kayo. You are so too lenient about this son of a bitch, a human being that has a virulent brain and his enemy is society. And many a times, there were sex offenders in America released only to rape and kidnap again, and kill in just a few months after release.

In the Philippines, it is really an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You took a life, then you must pay it with life – that is the only way to even. You cannot place a premium on the human mind that he will go straight. Nobody can. Not even your best scientist. No one has ever fathomed how a person would react, especially in committing crimes. That’s the only way to do it, to instil fear… that if you do it, you will die. That’s the advantage of criminals and rebels and terrorists, because they think that you are afraid to die.

That’s why when I went to Marawi, I was asked by the media, “Why are you here?” “I am here because my soldiers are here, and I came here to die also.” Because any battle, any fierce encounter, you have to be of equal equanimity. Gusto siyang mamatay, gusto ko ring mamatay. Ano sa atin ... they say that ... they use the name of God. In the Christians we... we have the same thing. I read the Ecclesiastes 3. What does it say? Even during elections? “There is a time to be great and a time for defeat. A time to be in the skies, emblazoned there, and a time to be no to somebody. A time to have money, a time to be hard up. A time to just walk so many kilometres to school and a time for graduation and being a lawyer. A time to be ...” I don’t know what I am now. But there is always a time.[Laughter/Applause]

When you publish in the newspaper or caught us in media, itong mga reporters would only quote ‘kill them’. I said kill them in a fight, if you have to shoot them, shoot them at the heart or the head. Sabi ko, why? Because they will be detained here in Marawi, wala tayong presuhan... [Laughter] ngayon and the courts will always insist that they will be—that’s the law, that they will be tried and detained in the place where they committed the crime. Kaya huwag kayong ... patayin talaga ninyo, kasi ilagay natin iyan diyan sa barracks natin diyan sa ating mechanized division, pag-eskapo niyan, dalhin iyong kanyon natin, ipaputok pa sa atin. [Laughter]

How many jail... tawag dito, jail break in Mindanao, in Cotabato alone? Six. Cotabato City, four. Ang jail doon nire-raid tapos pinapalabas. Alam ba ninyo ‘yan? Because you do not publish or itong mga taga-Maynila, hindi kayo... mga bright kayo eh, bilib ako. Mga gunggong... Sabihin na why do you there... why? What happened last April in Davao? It was bombed. How many were killed? 27. A few years ago, the church was bombed twice. How many died? 59. The airport, just as the people coming out of the departure—ah, arrival. It was bombed. How many died? 32. In the war, 3 nuns were lining up there. I have to scoop the brain of the nun to put it in a can, ‘cause the face was shattered.

And another thing, I’ll talk it about in the conference. Sumobra itong Left eh. Mag gawa ka ng bahay, nakawin. Ang sabi ko sa mga sundalo, do not force the issue, I will just build yours. Bigay mo na lang. And may project ngayon, gusto na naman nilang kuhanin. Do not commit that mistake. Here and I will tell you, including the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. You do anarchy, I will order the soldiers and the police to shoot, even if I have to bury thousands of Filipinos. Huwag ninyo akong ganunin, either—let us understand this, beginning today – either we have laws in this country, or we do not. We enforce the laws against the miners and the rich, but I will also enforce laws against anarchy, disturbance and create trouble. [Applause]

Kayong mga Left, I will not talk to you. Why should I? [Applause] Huwag mo na akong pilitin na magtayo kayo, mga pro-poor… shut up. Wait for two years, because I have—you know, this is my proposal. I may be totally wrong, and I will accept it but this is mine. From now on, I will save money for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We have lost so much soldiers, and there are thousands already incapacitated to fight. Pati iyong pulis ko, araw-araw ninyong ina-ambush. Pati ang convoy ko, kasi doon ako magsakay, in-ambush nila. Pati ako ang g*gong… p***ina, pati ako patayin—sabagay, malayo ako doon. Pero convoy ko kasi iyon eh. Kung hindi lang ako doon sa…

Do you think that if the ISIS prevails in this country, that you will have a place in their society? You must be awfully stupid, as stupid.[Applause] Wala kayong makuha, lahat tayo damay. Thank you for allowing the exhaust dito…

In our sustained effort to achieve just and lasting peace [Applause/Cheers] —Class, be courteous. Do not make a noise, the visitors are listening. [Laughter]—just and lasting peace for a united nation, we are pursuing an inclusive peace process, promoting the participation of all stakeholders, including those in conflict-affected areas.

We took steps to promote inclusiveness in the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) by expanding its membership through Executive Order No. 8 which I signed in November last year.

By giving representation to indigenous peoples, women, sultanates, and other key stakeholders in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, we ensure a Bangsamoro government that truly reflects the aspirations of our Muslim brothers and sisters as well as our indigenous brethren. [Applause]

We have embarked on various initiatives to advance our national interest in the global community. We pursue good relations with all nations anchored on an independent foreign policy and the basic tenets of sovereign equality, mutual respect, and non-interference.

ASEAN independent nation will uphold and promote our national interests in the international community. We will strengthen and seek partnerships with those who share our values. We will engage nations with full respect for the rule of law, sovereign equality and non-interference. These are the principles that we are upholding as we advance towards this year for the meeting as the Chair of the ASEAN.

We have cultivated further relations with China through bilateral dialogues and other mechanisms, leading to the easing of tensions between the two countries and an improved negotiating environment on the West Philippine Sea issue.

At this point, allow me to take a step back in time in 1901 in Balangiga. In 1901 there was known as Balangiga and that is Eastern Samar. It was the time of the Philippine-American War.

A combined group of Filipino villagers and guerrillas, in an effort to defend Samar Island from the alien invaders, attacked and overwhelmed a US, a United States Infantry garrison.

Forty-eight American officers and men were slain in the attack. On the Filipino side, the casualty count was twenty-eight killed and twenty-two wounded.

In retaliation, U.S. gunboats and patrols were sent to Balangiga, Samar with the order to “make a desert of Balangiga” and to reduce Samar Island into an island of “howling wilderness,” where every male citizen from the age of ten and above and capable of bearing arms, would be put to death.

The Church bells of Balangiga were seized by the Americans as spoils of war.

Those bells are reminders of the gallantry and heroism of our forebears who resisted the American colonizers and sacrificed their lives in the process. Krag against bolo. Krag was the standard rifle issued to the American troops. And that is how historians described.

Many stance described – sige - the Philippine-American War. That is why I say today: give us back those Balangiga bells. [Applause]They are not yours. They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage. Isauli naman ninyo. Masakit iyon sa amin.

We now talk about our Overseas Filipinos. They are our heroes. They and their families have sacrificed much for the country. We all know how a large part of our economy comes from their remittances. That is why to ensure that their rights are protected, I ordered the increase of our assistance to the OFWs from 400 million to more than 1 billion. [Applause]

We have been hard at work in securing the rights and welfare of our OFWs.

A year ago, I also warned government officials and employees that I will never tolerate corruption in my administration, not even a whiff of it. Let the dismissal of several high-ranking officials — whom I myself appointed — serve as a warning to all that I will never back down on my commitment to cleanse this government and corporation. [Applause]

In order to bring government services closer to the people, we established hotlines and government centers that receive public concerns, one of which is the Hotline 911, which allowed us to receive and immediately respond to emergencies.

We also launched Hotline 8888, the Citizen’s Complaint Hotline. This is a public hotline facility that receives feedbacks or concerns on government services.

Since we launched this hotline, we have received numerous complaints from the public on government... slow government processing, and clear of changing procedures and requirements, centralized issuance of clearances and permits in Metro Manila, and discourteous government employees, among others.

Time and again, iyong pag-transact ng ordinary...no, no the ordinary people who transact business in government. In the last ASEAN Ministerial conference, I don’t know why Malacanan has to---my office has to do some work for—or the orders like itong mga barong. It’s always the—that outfit takes care of the attire that will be given to the ministerial, this time to the heads of state.

Alam mo, I’d like to address this myself to government. Iyan bang bayaran, pabalik-balikin ninyo ang tao. I know that, because I’ve been Mayor for 23 years; I never allowed it in my city. But dito, alam mo iyang mga sastre, diyan sa Paranaque haggang Cavite, iyong mga tailoring diyan, ang negosyo ang niyan in bulk - Boy Scout, teacher’s uniform, Girl Scouts - naghahabol iyan sila ng mga kontrata. And they are just the stores that you find along the way until Cavite. They grouped together during times of ganito, may ASEAN and they look for a person to represent them. This is not—no offense intended, but you see they look for beautiful women, the young, who would do the talking, arrangement, you know, because it’s the—well, it’s the reality of life and the beautiful women get’s the attention always.

Tapos, pag na-deliver na nila, nasukatan na, pabalik-balikin ninyo and right there in Malacanan, it happened. So I will fire the lady, whoever was connected with her. As I have fired anybody else... a Cabinet member for buying an 18 million truck in Austria. That was not our contract, it was contract of the previous administration, 14 of those 18 million were already delivered. This Cabinet member was—I was informed about and I said, the legal—his legal office, to stop it.

You know what? He went just right ahead, travel there, signed something for the... another tranche of delivery. So right there, right in the Cabinet meeting I said, ‘were you able to read the opinion of your law, your own law office?’ He said no. But Sonny Dominguez was already passing to me the—iyong sa Iphone. So I was reading it, while I was talking to him. Sabi ko P***I** mo, you are fired, you are lying. And so I fired him. Go out of this office. I don’t want to see your face again. Ganoon ako ka istrikto. So iyong... the Cabinet members, they are here, they are only given noon, one year, two years, one month. The directors, makinig kayo sa gobyerno, bantay kayo. Directors, you are only given 15 days and I do not want Directors out of their office, you eat your lunch there, lahat kayong taga-gobyerno. So that you can resume to work immediately. [Applause]

Now ito ang deal ko sa public. There is the 8888, I cannot stop corruption and wrongdoings if you do not cooperate. You text me. Libre iyan, 8888. You name the public official. Name his sins in that bulletin and I will take it from there. Do not be afraid about libel, I will take care of that. [Applause] Iyon ang gawin ninyo. I have to have your help. Hindi kasi kayo mag-ano, wala eh. Lahat, police, military, lahat pati ako. If you think that some of—may nagawa ako na masama, di sabihin ninyo, do not be afraid. We are all workers of government! Kayo iyong employer namin. We get the money from your pocket to our pockets. Since when have you heard me talk about government and officials? I always address everybody ‘workers of government.’

I seldom mention Malacanan Palace, it is not a Palace, it is just a house of wood. So why should I call it the Palace. Give me something like the European style. Kaya ako I just called it office, Palace-Palace ka diyan eh. And besides, all the rats of Pasig are there.[Laughter] It’s just beside Pasig River. So, iyong lahat ng mga daga diyan kung saan-saan, doon nagla-landing eh, it has a wide field. And they are not killed because they are presidential mouse. [Laughter] Iyon ang sabi ng...sundalo. Sir, hindi daw ipagbaril, ke presidential mouse, P***I** mabuti pa ang mouse dito, hindi pa pinapatay, iyong tao kinakatay ninyo.

The people’s patience is wearing thin. So is mine.

I am reiterating my directive to all government agencies from frontline services to our people from womb to tomb -- to further streamline their respective services to make these truly efficient, and people-friendly.

We want to ensure that our people receive the quality services that they deserve, minus the delays caused by bureaucratic red tape. I expect speedy reforms along this line.

We will right size the national government. Let us trim the excess fat and add more muscle through the expeditious passage of “The Act Rightsizing the National Government to Improve Public Service Delivery and for other Purposes.” I therefore urge Congress to pass this at the soonest.

For the Government Owned and Controlled Corporations, isa pa kayo. The implementation of the existing Salary Standardization Law pending the review in the Compensation and Position Classification System, it’s excessive, extravagant, and unconscionable. Salaries and allowances, incentives, benefits and bonuses across the Government Owned and Controlled Corporations at this time increases will have to pass by my office; and I am not inclined to increase your allowances, bonuses and salaries at this time. [Applause] Wala na.You cannot do it on your own. You have to direct it to the Executive Secretary and I will just tell you, I am not inclined to give increases right now. Maybe seven years from now, when Drilon makes it to the presidency.

I also appeal to the Supreme Court to seriously consider the national interest and our development goals before issuing TROs and injunctions on critical government projects and cases involving government assets.

I am just a co-worker also, ladies and gentlemen. May I be allowed to be also, just as frank. Tutal wala naman akong ina-ano eh... I do not need to offend you, but I cite, for example, the Supreme Court TRO that prevents the Department of Health from distributing subdermal implants, which will cause the wastage of P350 million worth of taxpayers’ money. I also note that since its issuance two years ago, this TRO has impaired the government’s ability to fully implement responsibly family planning and methods and the RH Law.

It is time that we put an end to the practice of some parties of resorting technicalities in our laws, prevent the government from fulfilling its mandate.

Ganito iyan, Ma’am, eh. Tutal, this as good as any other time to talk to you and may I be understood by you. I am sorry to say this. Really I am, I do not intend to do it. But if you have to talk about government and our sins, which I am not an exception or are...you know delays, lahat naman tayo nagkakamali.

Ganito iyan, two things, wala na talaga akong panahon. I don’t know if I can make another SONA again in the future. It’s not for me to tell that. Itong TRO has been the vain of projects and even Consunji, iyong mga Ayala nag-aaway iyan. Just to make you understand na hindi lang kayo. Tapos iyang TRO na iyan, would delay the projects. Now God... and I am asking Congress find me a law na kung may bidding naman at it was regular, dapat ang korte or somebody else should not be messing it up because it will delay the projects which has been the case in the provinces. Alam mo mag-file iyan ng kaso, either it is really the truth, well the COA will found out or makahati siya. I will withdraw the case and dissolve the TRO of course, then you just give me a few...sabihin mo 10%. Ganoon ang ugali ng Pilipino. Kaya iyang TRO na iyan is the vain of our efficiency. And I really do not know whether—I will not attribute anything, Ma’am, sa Supreme Court. Maybe I am at fault, so I am sorry, if I misquote or I did not have the complete facts.

But itong Congress na ito passed the Reproduction Law. It was already a law na dapat i-implement, because we are really going into a family planning. I am not for abortion; I am not for birth control. But certainly, I am for the giving of the freedom to a Filipino family the size ng pamilya niya. [Applause] How many children would they be able to support and send to school?

Ang nangyari nitong TRO mo, sir/ma’am, may na nag-file doon sa inyo, Supreme Court, tapos nag-issue kayo ng TRO two years ago. In the meantime iyong—ang gobyerno nagbili ng medisina itong ‘Subdermal’ pati itong mga pills worth 360. It was not really a reckless purchase; it was in preparation for the implementation of the law because hindi naman akalain na mag-TRO—and it has been two years, the medicines will expire next month. I told Ubial – the Health Secretary - to find out if there is a nation, a law which would allow it and i-donate na lang rather than go to waste. Iyan ho ang nangyari. I do not blame you, you might have been very busy or something. Wala—ako I’m just—I am below you actually. Pero sinasabi ko lang—may isa pa. Huwag na lang itong speech, walang makuha diyan.

The vain isa pa—itong…the Congress and tayo sa gobyerno including the judges and justices, should understand that by this time, iyong lowest bid iyon ang nagpo-promote ng graft and corruption sa ating bayan. [Applause]. COA, you are here at malaman na lang ninyo na may violation ako. Doon sa military I do not allow them to bid but just to buy the weapons from everywhere. Because almost all countries are making arms, the tawag nila - small arms industry. We are just fighting a rebellion. True, we do not need the armaments, but diyan sa Marawi you have to hit hard because they are pre-positioned inside buildings. And until now we cannot proceed fast because there are 300 hostages.

Sabi ko, Do not assault. If necessary we’ll just have to wait, wait it out but we have to give food. You do not go. I don’t care if they are Moro or Christian, it’s not—we do not have that luxury. Kasi kapag—there’s a distinct possibility that we are there, they will just behead everybody. So find out a way to do it, if you cannot find a way to do it then just I just said, “Wait it out,” iyan na ang nakatagal. Baka sabihin hindi marunong itong sundalo. Ako iyong pipigil. Initially, sabi ko ang bomba eh. “Sir, hindi talaga madala sir. Every window is occupied iyong high rise sir.”

And we were losing because of the snipers. And they are in a hurry, I said, “slow down.” When I was—hindi ako nagyayabang, when I was in the camp sa Ranao, well, I was briefing—I was being briefed by the military and I was giving the instructions. I heard about 16 pumutok at saka iyong bala na weng, weng, weng. Iyong mga reporter nandoon sa likod ng stage kasi semento iyon eh. We will—is this is the way how it should wait, then I will wait. Unless you can find a solution, somebody here who has the good, even a horse sense to negotiate for the release of—